Sooryavanshi's Dream Debut Delights, But Samson Snub Sparks Former India Batter Sanjay Manjrekar's Criticism

India's decision to leave out Sanju Samson for the second T20 International against England has sparked a fresh selection debate, with former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar calling the move "bizarre" even as he celebrated the long awaited international debut of teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi .

The 15 year old Sooryavanshi finally earned his maiden India cap and immediately etched his name into the record books by becoming the youngest Indian to make an international debut , surpassing the mark set by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar , who was 16 when he debuted in 1989.

Batting fearlessly, Sooryavanshi scored a brisk 14 off 10 balls , giving fans a glimpse of the explosive talent that had already captured attention during the Indian Premier League , where he batted at a remarkable strike rate of over 230.

However, while the youngster's debut was widely appreciated, Samson's absence became the talking point. The experienced wicketkeeper batter, who was instrumental in India's T20 World Cup triumph with back to back 89 run knocks in the semifinal and final, was left out after a lean run on the ongoing England tour.

Reacting strongly, Manjrekar questioned the selectors' decision through a post on X. "Great to see Vaibhav in India colours. But what about Samson! Dropped?? Are you kidding me! No, I guess, injured. Let's hope it's injury. Or it's the most bizarre selection."

The former cricketer also suggested that India could have easily accommodated both players by promoting Sooryavanshi to No. 3 , instead of sacrificing Samson's place in the playing eleven.

India eventually suffered a four wicket defeat in the second T20, allowing England to take a 1-0 lead in the five match series after the opening game was washed out. While Sooryavanshi's debut offered a bright glimpse into India's future, Samson's exclusion has now become the biggest talking point, with questions mounting over whether one of India's proven T20 match winners deserved to be left out.